Finding you
by SaraTheButcher
Summary: Ruby and Belle are finally reunited after the curse is broken but there seems to be someone missing, their daughter. To what lengths will they go to get her back?
1. Unraveling

Notes: I hope you enjoy this story for it is going to be a long journey, if you can't stand violence or gore then well this is not the story for you. Can't promise a certain time frame of updates but I will try my best to have the next chapter as soon as possible. Leave a review?

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**Disclaimer: The characters in the story are not mine just borrowing them for some time. **

Once upon a time and a long time ago, a land full of happiness was sent spiraling into a life that wiped out all the happiness that had ever existed. A curse had been cast when the unhappiness of one heart shattered their spirit and sent them on a mission to destroy everyone's happiness. The lives of every creature and human were at stake when the curse swept through. The land was bathed in purple smoke, instantly transporting them to a universe which there was no escape and all had false memories implanted into their heads. It was a timeless curse, no ending or beginning just frozen. No one died but no one really lived, it was a curse within a curse. It wasn't all bad, some family was still bound together but others weren't as fortune. Even with all the hurt that had been caused to the caster, they still had enough compassion in them to allow some happiness to some of the residents.

Twenty eight long years of being frozen in time, the long years of living under a fake identity, of always feeling like something was missing but never being able to pin point it. There always was a hole in her heart, a sort of emptiness that would never be filled no matter how hard she tried. The explanation came and it all started with a blonde woman entering Storybrooke. Everything happened so fast that it was all a blur. A single moment that has sent time in motion and changed their lives forever, the clock tower finally began to move forward and the memories came flooding back.

Memories of a former life flooded her mind and swam with the images of her current; it was a maze trying to form an exact timeline. What was her former life became a mix of melancholy emotions but happy ones too. So much time gone and wasted but then she had gotten to know people here by different standards, they were now just like her. A mix of two parts to put together as a whole but yet she still felt nothing like them. She was what she always will be, a monster.

Dwarves, Princes, Princesses, and a Beauty were among those who received their memories back like her. It was her own memories that hit her so hard that they sent her straight to her knees, a woman and a child was her past life. Fair skin and curly auburn hair, a child curled up into the other woman's arms but yet she couldn't see her face. It slowly began to click into place; the empty whole in her heart was stitching itself back together slowly but gradually every bit of detail was restored. Emotions stirred inside of her, a war of some sort. Was it relief, anger or pain that she was supposed to feel? The wolf in her begged for blood but howled yearning for a comforting touch, the human part of her longed for the love she lost. All around loved ones hugged and joined together as they were finally reunited. There she was standing there alone, the bite of the cool air sending shivers through her body, and she had not a clue where her precious Belle and daughter could be. Her senses were on the rise once her counterpart began to settle in; it clawed for the comfort that only Belle could offer.

She could feel the fear gnawing at her; surely Belle received her memories just like all the other residents. So she waited in the one place where their friendship had blossomed and grown into something she had cherished more than anything. Now she fully understood why she had felt that instant connection. Even with the curse there was nothing that could keep two people that were meant to be together apart. If there was one thing that terrified her, it was the lack of presence of her daughter. It shook the very foreign part of her, she was never one to fear a thing but this was different. Her daughter had only been days old when the curse settled, a child that is days old can't fend or survive on their own. Had she died the first days here, was she taken in by a different family, or was she even here? There were so many questions and still no answers to any of them. She was pacing around the room; it was the battle for her sanity and slowly she felt herself losing it.

If she wasn't a wolf she wouldn't have heard the door open and the nearly silent footsteps that followed after, the hesitance in those steps made her heart stop. "Ruby?" the voice called out, it was shaky and damn near a whisper but she heard it. It spoke levels to her heart, it sent it back in motion ten times faster but it gained back a piece that was gone for too long. With a light heart and nerves coursing through her veins she summoned up the courage to let her voice be heard "Yeah baby, I'm here." She felt what she had been missing for 28 years, the warmth of another's company. The need was all in that gaze when their eyes locked, brown eyes connected with blue and the only thing she could wrap her head around was how stunning the other woman looked. She still felt the butterflies that drowned her like the very first time they met. There wasn't much time to digest any other information as Belle sprung into Ruby's arms. Hot tears streamed down her face and they matched the ones that made their way down the latter's cheeks as well. Ruby pulled her impossibly closer terrified that is was just a dream and she would wake up and be forced to wake up alone. She still smelled like she always had, strawberries and old books, it tamed the beast inside of her. Belle tapped her lightly on the back "Baby, your squeezing me and it's beginning to hurt." The waitress was reluctant to loosen her grip but as she did she couldn't help but nuzzle the woman's neck.

All she could think about was how hard it was for her not to take the woman away and lock them away from the world. It was like finally restoring the very thing that she needed to keep her alive, to breathe, to love and to hope. Without Belle, there was no life. Even with the curse they had maintained a friendship which made things more bearable; there was always a pull she felt towards the girl when they were around one another. She had never been able to explain it but now, she didn't need one. She loved Belle and nothing in the world or the next would change that.

They stayed like that just for a while, just enjoying the company of one another and when she pulled away to look down at the woman she loved, it was like no time had been ever lost. No feelings had faded; she still looked as young and beautiful as ever. Her voice was that of a whisper when she spoke, her hand made its way to tread through silky curls "You remember when we first met?" Belle leaned into the gentlest touch she had ever known and nodded her head, "It is a day that is hard to ever forget."

***FLASHBACK***

Ruby was in the market searching for the goods her Granny had sent to pick up; there were so many sights and smells to take in. It had been one of the first times that her grandmother had let her out of her sight since she was slowly learning to control her wolf, she had been such a hard ass about letting Ruby do anything after the change had taken place. Now, this was a little too much for her to take in all at once, she felt a bit lost after sometime it sent her into panic. She had bumped into someone, the figure was tall and well-built she heard the growl that escaped the person's throat and it sent her running in the other direction. Instead of keeping her eyes trained to where she was running to, she kept looking back to see if she was in danger but this launched her into someone else.

Whoever the person had been definitely wasn't as scary or built as the latter. With just her luck she had landed right on top of the stranger, her eyes slammed shut for fear dug straight into her heart. She felt something shaking, for a second she thought it might be whoever she was laying on top of but then when she felt a small hand on her shoulder and a heavy accented voice rang in her ears Ruby knew that she was the one shaking. "Are you okay?" Ruby didn't dare move, she was shutting down even if she knew there was no reason to panic but the fact of the matter was human interaction was something she was far from being familiar with. All she had known was Peter and her grandmother but with Peter gone and still being upset with Granny, she was lacking in the department of human manners.

The heavy accented voice shot straight through her and she felt those small fingers that belonged to the other woman trail down her back in a soothing manner "Hey, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you, you can trust me." Trust? Was it really going to be such a quick and easy thing to hand out, especially to a stranger? And what if she was lying; what if when Ruby let her guard down the woman would betray her? If it was one thing she had learned from her Granny that even in a pack a wolf can easily turn on another pack member. It was not an easy thing for her; she had hardly begun to trust herself. Trusting a human, now that was proving to be a difficult task for her. There were always stories of people that had trusted easily, believed in the softness of another's voice the sincerity of their eyes but never sought out the darkness of the heart. Ruby didn't want to trust her but what choice did she have, it was her fault that they were in this small mess and she couldn't lay there forever.

There was something about that voice that was innocent, something that warmed her and melted away the fear. The silky textured fingers felt like a sinful blessing that left a hopeful whisper on her skin _"Touch me"_ it begged. The shaking receded as the fear melted away and she slowly opened her eyes, their eyes locked and for a moment all the air from her lungs had been sucked out. She met those intense blue eyes, there was something that tore through her blood and the heat rose coloring her cheeks a light shade of pink. She was all too aware of the smaller frame pressed to hers. Every dip, curve, the strong heartbeat and the rise and fall of her chest every little detail she committed to memory. Her eyes traced every detail of that porcelain skin and her eyes fell to the small upturned curve of her lips. Then their eyes met again finally, Ruby remembered where she was in that moment and sprang back off the woman like a cat out of water. She held out her hand to the woman still sprawled out on the ground "I am so sorry about that, I guess I got lost there for a moment." The woman looked up at her and giggled lightly before accepting the offered hand. "It's quite alright; I was in no rush anyway. Are you okay?" Ruby was pretty sure that her cheeks were as red as the cloak she was forced to wear.

"Um yeah I'm fine; I should really be asking you after all I am the one that ran into you." The woman waved her hand in a nonchalant gesture "I'm in one piece and nothing hurts so I'm great." She laughed lightly and Ruby couldn't help join in. There was a light feeling in the air around them and Ruby felt so at ease, like the world had finally given her a break. The blue eyed beauty cut the laughter and extended her hand hoping that the other woman would take it. Her hand met the woman's and she couldn't help but notice the warmth that radiated from her "I'm Belle by the way, and you are?" She was a bit caught off guard that suddenly this woman was introducing herself; she decided it would only be polite to return the gesture "Ruby, it's nice to meet you Belle." The woman smiled brightly and withdrew her hand, the latter couldn't help but frown at the loss of touch "I must be off, but I do hope to see you around Ruby." With those final words spoken the woman turned and walked off in the opposite direction, it was weird but Ruby couldn't help feel at loss even if they had just met. She truly did hope to see her again.

***END FLASHBACK***

Ruby chuckled lightly "We met in such an odd way but I'm glad I ran into you that day in the market." Her hand caressed her cheek, there was so much love in her eyes that Belle felt tears beginning to collect at the extent of their love. "I don't know what I would have done without you all these years Belle; I love you with my whole being." Again she was lost in those deep electrifying blue eyes just like when they had first met and felt like she was soaring when their lips finally came together, it was slow at first. Unsure of one another but then just like everything else it all clicked back in place, her lips felt so familiar and the beast inside howled instantly craving more. Her tongue slipped past soft pink lips and she was greeted with the fervor that could rival her own. It felt as if the very air from her lungs had been stolen, she growled low in her throat, she had forgotten how sweet Belle tasted. There was a slightly act of possession when she gripped onto her tighter, pulling her deeper into the kiss. Head reeling, heart pounding and sense on overload this was her haven. The need for air was great but the need for Belle outweighed that need.

It grew to be too much and she pulled away from the kiss breathless, chest heavy and lungs burning. Still the need for contact was driving her insane, her fingers lightly traced swollen lips from her kiss and she smiled. "I've missed you Belle so much." her voice was ragged and barely a whisper, a flood of emotions tore through her and the tears settled in yet again. She felt small, delicate fingers reach her face to wipe at the tears "I never left Ruby; I've been here waiting for you all along." Still out of breath but too driven by emotions she brought back Belle for a scorching kiss and when Belle moaned at the contact, something snapped inside her. It had been way too long. The moment was short lived when Belle lightly pushed her back, not in a manner that was rude and far from offensive. At first she felt a bit hurt but then she scanned the woman in front of her. Blue eyes were filled with worry and it struck a chord with the waitress.

Her hands reached up to cradle her face "Belle, what is it?" Her voice broke before she could get her message across, she tried again after a moment "Where is our daughter Ruby?" There it was what she had forgotten in an instant and it hit her harder than anything else had before. Panic and terror consumed her heart, her eyes flashed to her counterparts' eerie yellow color. On instinct Belle reached for Ruby knowing that she was the comfort that would soothe the wolf. "I have an idea as to where to find her." The voice was low and hinted a dangerous level; she was not one to be toyed with right now. Not when her little girl had been taken and not when her life was on the life, someone was going to pay dearly and Ruby had her target set. She tore off towards the mayor's mansion knowing the woman was responsible for the curse, the curse that had driven all of them apart. She snarled fighting to maintain the beast, the full moon was not to have an appearance in a long time but yet the anger was enough to fuel the shift. She sprinted towards the mansion ignoring the distant cry from Belle; she would get their daughter back even if it killed her.


	2. This Is War

**Author's note: Well I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, things are just getting interesting so stick around. On another note, this story takes on a whole new spin of Ruby being able to shift into a werewolf. Leave a review? Oh last thing, this story is just as much yours as it is mine so if there is something you want to see happen mention it in a review and maybe just maybe it'll come up in a chapter. No promises! **

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The white mayoral mansion came into view but instead of its usually quiet and enchanting surrounding it was rowdy and anger sparked in the air. The air cradled and nourished her anger, she felt stronger and more alert than she had in a long time. Regina was in for it, she could practically taste the blood seeping through her canines. The thought should have disgusted her but it was strangely soothing. Her wolf paced inside of her, an untamed wild beast it was ready to spring out and latch its long canines around smooth olive skin. Blood had a sweet metallic taste from what Ruby could remember; she pondered the thought of what Regina's would taste like. Would it be tainted like the very depths of her soul? Even if it was, it wouldn't bother her it was the mere satisfaction of seeing Regina on her knees holding her throat, eyes wide, mouth hung open wide sputtering blood, hand covering her bloody neck as the blood coated her white blouse. Yes, it played to her dark fantasy and her hearts content to see the woman pay for separating her from the people that she would walk the fiery pits of hell for.

They were in a technologically advance world and still here were the towns people with torches and pitchforks in hand ready to torch the mansion to the ground. Normally she would be against the harm of anyone. Belle taught her long ago that there was good in everyone and no one deserved to die. It was true but that no longer applied to her majesty. If she could not spare a moment of compassion for anyone but herself she didn't deserve to live. After all this time she had pitied the mayor anytime Emma had fought her about who Henry belonged with but now she felt sorry for the kid. He had to live with that woman, no wonder he tried to find his birth mother. These were the kind of thoughts that were rushing through her head as she approached the people surrounding the mansion. They were furious and she loved every second of it. No doubt Regina would have her magic and annihilate anyone that came forth but there were more of them than her, if she struck at the right time she would be victorious. _Don't let your emotions get the best of you Ruby_ she told herself. Emotions have a nasty habit of foiling a plan; the trick was to come in with a calm head. Pushing all thoughts aside, she prepared herself like a predator would. Tuning out her human senses she closed her eyes and zoned in on the purely animalistic part of her that was born a predator. It was born to fight, kill, hunt and do whatever it took to survive. Her heartbeat slowed to a slow timed beat…_Thump…Thump…Thump…_Her own sounding instantly different than the others around her whose heartbeats where ten times faster due to the anger and hate harbored deep in their heart.

Her smell and hearing grew intense; she could hear the quick heavy breathing from the mayor that indicated her fear and her signature scent of apples. Slowly her eyes opened, instantly she knew the shades of her eyes were different and they weren't human at all. She had perfect vision as a human but somehow as a wolf it was sharp, clean almost like watching everything on an HD screen. She pushed through the crowd which was giving her no trouble at all; these people were not grown fighters but measly humans that were powerless. Somewhere up closer to Regina someone had tried to attack her because instantly she heard that cocky voice and could nearly picture that smirk on her face "Well my dears, you wanted to see your Queen…here she is!" Silence fell among the crowd of gatherers, if not for her honed senses it would be dead silent. Then there was a shout "SHE'S POWERLESS! GET HER!" Powerless, The Former Queen was Powerless. Now the real fun could begin.

She refused any other being in the crowd to steal her moment, this would be her moment alone and she would be remembered by it. She pushed through the mass amount of people, bumping and pushing anyone who stood in her way. When she finally reached the front of the crowd a small victory cheer rang out in her ears, this did wonders for her ego. Without hesitation she lunged forward grabbing Regina by the collar of her jacket and shoved her into the wall of mansion, her canines began to lengthen as she sensed ever thump of her heart beat and the fear that oozed from her being. "Where is she?!" the lengthened canines made her speech come out as a growl but her words were still very clear.

The classic smirk was back in place; Regina too knew the secrets of success. Rule number one, never let your enemy know what you really feel or they'll cut you down faster than you can process. A pearly white smile was in place then "Who dear? Belle? Well she's only a few feet away if only you would turn around." Her jaw ticked and teeth ground against each other, her blood was beginning to really boil. Regina was pushing the line she would be smart to not poke an angry mother werewolf. She snarled loud enough so that all could hear in the crowd, a silence broke through and then there was quickly shuffling of feet. People were stepping away from them; good she fed on their fears and allowed herself to be carried by it. Foolish she was not but a predator she was. Her hand seized Regina's throat and closed her hand slowly around olive skin "Do. .Me.I will kill you were you stand and not even blink as your blood seeps down through my canines. I've heard royal blood tastes even sweeter than an everyday persons; I would love to find out, wouldn't you? You tell me where my daughter is and I won't kill you." A strained laughed rose from the older woman's throat "Threatening my dear will get you know where." The next seconds were all a blur, something inside of her snapped and she lunged at Regina's throat. She felt her flinch as her breath fell against the Queens skin, the soft skin grazed her canines and she shuddered. Her teeth sunk slowly into the skin and she groaned as the blood seeped into her mouth. Regina gasped and tried to pull away but Ruby held on with all of her strength. The bottom of her jaw was about to set in around her neck to close off the killer bite. But just as quickly as the process had started the opportunity was ripped away from her even quicker by none other than Emma Swan. She growled furiously and turned to attack her next, the human part of her was long gone.

Riding on adrenaline and a starving need for blood Ruby lunged for Emma instantly. Emma saw the attack coming; she knew the waitress wouldn't go down without a fight. She spun out of the way just in time to bring her elbow down right in the middle of the woman's spine. It didn't take more than a second for her to recover but she used the lower level to her advantage, her claws swiped at the blonde's leg and there was a small amount of satisfaction when she heard the woman cry out. The Savior dropped down to one knee, for now the pain was too great to stand up. The other woman took this as an immediate advantage and shoved her back onto the concrete; Ruby lifted her enough to where her head was hovering over the ground. She looked down and flashed Emma a light smile before slamming her fist against the woman's cheek. The first time wasn't so bad but when Emma felt the second blow come down in the same spot, she felt a little dizzy and a metallic taste had filled her mouth. Just as she was about to slam Emma again something stopped her.

"RUBY!" a familiar voice rung in her ears, she shook her head and a scent of strawberries and old books encased her as small hands slipped around her waist dragging her up from the woman on the ground. Ruby wasn't fully human just yet and there was a small part of her that still craved the additional adrenaline from her encounter. Her head tilted to the side to get a glimpse of the woman holding onto her, she snarled "Let go of me Belle." She wouldn't budge but that wouldn't stop Ruby. She zeroed in on her target and just as she's about to attack the blonde pulls out her gun aiming it directly where the werewolves heart was, "Try that again Ruby and you might have a bigger problem than a missing person." Belle had acted as a distraction giving the blonde just enough time to get up and become a threat once again. A small voice came from behind the waitress "Please stop, all of you. Enough damage has been here don't add to it." Her hands slipped from Ruby's waist, she made her way between Emma and her wife. The tension was high, even the crowd of people seemed to hold onto to every word being exchanged. The gun was now pointed at Belle; this only made the werewolf angrier triggering her nails to lengthen to sharp pointy ends. Emma kept her hand steady, "You know what bullets this gun holds? Silver bullets, now correct me if I'm wrong but I hear they do wonders to a werewolf." Ruby curled her lip showing off the elongated canines but in fear Belle did the one thing she hoped would work.


	3. Breaking Apart

**Author's Note: This is where we finally introduce and explore the 2nd pairing in this story, just a bit for now. Perhaps the pairing might break apart into its own story somewhere down along the line. For now, enjoy and thank you for reading. There are new concepts in this chapter that will be explored in upcoming chapters. **

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A silence had fallen over them but panic bathed the room settling over them like a cloak. She was a dead woman, a high price had settled over head. An unspoken price but it was clear what the people wanted. If not for the sheriff she would be a dead woman. The blonde didn't have to save her but felt obligated after everything they had gone through. No one knew about them, not even Henry but for a long time now it had stopped being the argument of whose son it was. No, it was their son. Every decision was made together for their son; no longer would the young child have to suffer with the thought of only having to have one parent. It didn't matter to either of them that he wouldn't have the typical family growing up, he would have two moms instead of one and that was what they were okay with.  
Emma sat across the room, eyes glued to the former Queen on the other side. Her arms were crossed against her chest and her eyes trained on the blood trailing down her neck. The blood loss was wreaking havoc on her features, deep olive skin was now the color of a satin white bed sheet. Her body was rigid and eyes cold as stone were in place, she seemed unfazed. However, Emma in turn didn't know how to respond. Something bothered her about this entire thing; blood loss seemed like a rational explanation for the shaking and the pale skin but there was something considerably different about her. As if some other force was poisoning her slowly. Worry coursed through her causing her stomach turn and she felt sick knowing that Regina was slowly dying in front of her in a painful way. She stalked towards the brunette, with slow steps unsure of how she would react to her presence.  
Swallowing buckets of courage she stopped right in front of Regina. Even though she had faced many harsh situations in life she was still a bundle of nerves. Her heart skipped a beat as their eyes met when she tilted the bleeding woman's chin up. Gone was the woman who cast the curse and before her sat a woman with passion hidden in those golden orbs. Her soft pink lips covered painted blood red lips, instantly her heart rate shot through the roof. With that the anger and resentment she felt towards the Mayor melted, her heart felt lighter than it had in a long time.  
She had been abandoned, an orphan her entire life thanks to the woman she had hopelessly fallen for. She groaned at the pain she felt for a second as the other woman lightly nipped at her bottom lip but moaned when she felt the bite being soothed over by the brunettes tongue. She pulled away from the Queen, her fury was roped on a tight leash and with an open mind she allowed the love she felt control her emotions. Then again it wasn't much of an option; her emotions were never in check around the mayor she seemed to lose all control every time. She brought her hand up to the where the woman had been bitten, it was swollen and it had turned to a nasty shade of purple. Emma walked away for a second only to return with wet towel and sat comfortably in front of the woman again. She spoke lightly as she dabbed at the wound and dried blood "Regina, you want to tell me what's going on? I mean, the blood loss did its damage but there's something else isn't there?" She got her answer the second the woman turned her head and refused to look back the blonde. Emma wasn't having any of it and instantly brought back the brunette to meet her eyes. "What is it Regina?" She swallowed hard waiting for the reply "It's poisoning found in werewolf saliva, only happens when the change is enacted. Ruby was in the middle of her change when she bit me; the poison is doing its job slowly." She could have killed Ruby at the moment; death was of no option when it came to the Mayor. They could go without a ruler but without Regina the blonde would be lost. The fear she felt wouldn't be showed, weakness was not a friend and not in front of what she was trying her hardest to protect. A sigh escaped her lips "There has to be some way to stop this."  
The normally so confident Queen turned frightened, only Emma was allowed to see this part of her and it struck her like a pile of bricks "There isn't, Emma." She could choke her, deciding to change the subject she wanted a lighter side to the dark mood hanging over them "Why did you do it Regina?" The brunette in turn stiffened as if she was ready to be struck, always prepared to defend against an attack. The second the curse swept through an old part of Regina had been stitched together with the new one. It had just dawned on Emma how much of the two she could see. She waited for a moment hoping for a response. She was about to give in, knowing she was probably asking for too much. She was probably one of the last people that the brunette would have story time with. Light hope was restored when the woman spoke "I had my happiness torn away from me and this is where I found my peace, where I found my happiness." Back was the frustration, Stop it Swan, these people live by different rules she told herself. She sighed deeply "Regina, you can't just curse these people because one made you unhappy." The Queen scoffed at her "Why don't you go lecture your mother about this dear since she is the one who caused this."  
The words infuriated her, ignited her fury that she had leashed so well but within seconds it exploded. "My mother? You have got to be kidding me; you have got to stop blaming other people for your actions." Anger sparked in the air and Regina instantly channeled it "Don't try lecturing me about something you didn't live through! I had everything taken from me and for what price? The price of Queen? Please…I would have rather died with Daniel." Emma reached out for her only to be shoved back. "No, you don't get to comfort me not when you refuse to even try and understand." But the blonde wouldn't budge, she tried again and Regina in turn lashed out slapping in the same place where Ruby had delivered her blows. It may have been just a slap but it hurt more than the punches from Ruby, it hurt because for a second there she had lost the ability to offer the brunette comfort. In her eyes the blonde had betrayed her. An empty laughter sounded "I'm simply the Evil Queen, I don't get an ounce of understanding but your mother…well she is nothing but a saint because she's Snow White."  
Emma grabbed her and wrapped her arms around the woman that was without a doubt breaking on the inside, but she was holding it together better than anyone she knew. Her arms loosened slightly when the woman relaxed, her eyes roamed olive skin and then something caught her attention and she was terrified of the answer. Emma lost the confidence in her voice, it broke as she spoke and her hand immediately shot up to the wound or at least where the wound had been minutes ago and she instantly put distance between them. Along with her voice trembling, her body shook terribly "Regina…how?" The words of a woman who was lost to this world bore through; Emma had yet to understand concepts of the fairytale world. Then Regina's hands sought out the blonde's soft and warm flesh, their fingers intertwined together. Now she held hands that were damaged from years of hard work and running from constant danger. The brunette caused that pain to Emma but who knew she would care so many years later. She smiled sadly; a tragedy had been written "Any and all darkness can be broken, even at the brink of death with a kiss from the heart that is true." The other woman cocked her eyebrow completely confused to the twist on words, "Come again? This time English from our time period would be appreciated." Even if the woman was shaking her head there was still a smile on her face "The kiss of True Love can break any darkness no matter how close one is to death."  
The blonde didn't know how to react; did she really believe her words? "Wait Regina, if the kiss can break any darkness then what about the poison?" The former Queen brought the blonde's knuckles to her lips and placed a gentle kiss to them "Already gone or I would be dead right now, the poison would have attacked my heart by now." Their eyes met, the rapid beat of her heart sped up even more to a nearly impossible rate. Her eyes watered when she saw the spark in those golden orbs "So you're going to be okay?"  
A hand slipped to the woman's cheek, "No need to cry Emma. Yes I'm going to be okay thanks to you." Grateful was a word that could barely even begin to explain how she felt; no words could have done justice to her feelings at that moment. Instead she let her lips meet again, instantly she felt the surge of Regina's powers seep through her as their passion ignited. Things had been tossed between them in the past months but it had only strengthened every feeling that they had for one another, love being the most important. Her hands ran through short, silky and dark hair. Intoxicating was the only way she could describe the kiss. With every passing second she felt the need to possess Regina grow, she tugged at Queens lower lip with her teeth eliciting a groan from her throat. The moment was short lived when the Savior was drawn out of the heat of the moment, a growl sounded and she broke away from Regina.  
Normally she would have kicked herself for killing such a moment, but she saw red and she practically snarled when her brain finally absorbed the entire part of the conversation. Regina could have died and Ruby was responsible. All friendship was tossed out when she realized this, something inside of her snapped. "I'm going to kill her" she snarled and Regina gasped, not out of actions of the blonde but something wasn't right. She suspected magic when the color of Emma's eyes swirled to a royal purple when anger had flooded her. "Emma" she reached for the blonde only for the anger to be redirected at her, a quick glare was sent her way before she stormed out of the building. There was going to be hell, the magic in Regina alerted her of the danger rising and she ran after her swan. One crisis at a time was enough; this was not the time for another. Ruby may have put her in danger but she feared what Emma would do to the woman when she got a hold of her.


	4. Burning Bridges

**Author's Note: I know this took longer than the last updates. I have been extremely busy and so has my beta. Once March is done and over with the fic will be updated a lot more but for now maybe once a week. **

**MAJOR TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains violence and so will the next chapter. **

**As always, thank you for reading and leave a review. :)**

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Ruby was on the opposite side of the town holding onto the weeping woman feeling her own tears threatening to spill. When they had first arrived she had expected Belle to come at her and scold her like she was a child but the exact opposite happened. Belle had begun to shake terribly, the tears formed and she cried out as her heart broke. They may have found each other but they still were missing was their child, the proof of their love. Ruby couldn't bring herself to be sad or cry. She was pissed off and when Belle had begun to cry the anger erupted like an active volcano. It was hard to accept that now wasn't the time to lash out; her human form was begging for it while the beast within her mourned for them both.  
Here, a woman of true strength wept in her arms and she was powerless to stop it. All she could do was let the fair skinned Beauty cry to her hearts content and attempt to ease the pain. Her hands wandered the length of her back drawing slow circles hoping it calmed the woman, just as it did her. It was lovely to find out now that her best friend was sleeping with the enemy. Such an easy way to tear them apart, she shouldn't allow it to but then again there was not a gram of rational thinking in any of this. She would burn the bridge if she had to; Emma wanted a lover that destroyed her childhood instead of a friend that would swear loyalty to her. Well, she was fine with that. Let the war begin.  
Something inside of her snapped and her acute senses warned her of a great power approaching; it was something she couldn't pinpoint. The two scents were familiar but she couldn't understand the one scent, she was the only one left of her kind so why is it that she could smell another wolf? More importantly why was their magic in the mix? Things were moving in a blur, her heart rate kicked up a notch and her survival mode kicked in. Belle was still unaware the danger approaching, immediately she wrapped her arms tighter around the smaller woman and whispered a small prayer.  
Ruby was still holding on tight to Belle even against her slight protesting; she tensed even more when she felt the bite of the cold air when someone had entered the room. The footsteps would have been impossible to hear if not for her gift; in that moment it felt more of a curse than a gift. She knew the danger that lurked and unfortunately for her she had the disadvantage no matter how well she was in tune with her skills. Help them all, this would end badly. Suddenly the sounds of the footsteps disappeared. This drew fear out of her and she was thankful Belle was unaware of the danger they were both in. Ruby had no clue what she was about to face but she prayed she would be enough to protect them both; placing a light kiss to the temple of the woman bunched up in her arms she braced herself for the attack.  
She felt the sharp tug first, the collar of her shirt dug into her flesh and she was forced to release the small woman in her arms. Belle squeaked, the fear radiated off of her and she automatically retreated into the shadows. Thankfully the brunette woman was out of the way, it was her and the attacker left to battle it out. She was dropped back to her feet when she and Belle were separated.  
She felt blind to every movement; she couldn't detect them no matter how hard she focused. Maybe it was her worry for everything else that was distracting her so greatly. Fuck, I am so screwed Ruby had that ongoing chant in her head. She knew no one else other than Regina and Gold that possessed magic. It could be either one after her; Rumple for taking Belle from him all those years ago and Regina because of the poison that was spreading through the woman's body. She had to have knowledge of it, the former Queen was no fool and she had come head to head with many magical creatures surely she had to have some knowledge of werewolves and what happens when the original genetic structure is tampered with.  
It may have been silent in the room but her thoughts were drowning her. She desperately tried to fight them, but her mind was no friend at the moment. All she had now were her instincts and even they at the moment were lacking. She waited, how much time had gone by? Seconds, minutes, hours? It was hard to tell, she was anticipating the attack but now she wasn't so sure. The attacker could have easily left the building, she couldn't detect any movement and the only breathing that was audible was her own and her terror stricken partner that was off cowering in the corner. She decided that it was safe to go comfort her; she turned to the dark corner Belle had curled up in. Her advance didn't go so well, she had only taken a few steps forward before an arm wrapped around her waist. Panic filled her, all the air in her lungs escaped when she was lifted off her feet.  
She saw stars and a sickening crack sounded when she connected with the cement floor. A sweet metallic taste filled her mouth and instantly Ruby knew a mass amount of damage had been done. Still she felt no presence around her again, she shook the pain off her body and waited till the buzzing in her head had ceased. Slowly she lifted herself, with each movement it felt like rods were being stuck through her. Fuck it hurt. She moved her right arm and yelled in pain, that was broken without a doubt but everything else just seemed to hurt. She stood upright again and set off towards Belle again trying to be a bit more cautious in case her attacker was still somewhere hiding in the shadows. She had taken two steps and the hand this time wrapped tightly around her neck.  
The fingers dug into her neck and the nails bit into the skin, she felt the blood spill and the droplets slip down her neck and chest. Her eyes settled on her attacker and she gasped when her eyes met with purple swirling eyes glaring with intense hate hidden deep within them. "Emma…" she gasped, she was trying to understand what was happening but she couldn't think as the grip on her neck grew tighter. Her hand reached to grab onto Emma's, the blondes grip just tightened and she looked absolutely pleased at the sight of Ruby turning a shade of blue. The struggle to have a small amount of air pass through her lungs was next to impossible. Time froze for her; it seemed like ages as she waited for the moment to run out of air. The moment didn't come, she didn't run out of air instead an "Ooof" escaped her lips when she hit the ground and skid across the floor for a few inches before sliding to a halt. She shook her head and quickly jumped to her feet. What was going on in front of her was enough to warm her heart and kicked in a whole new level of adrenaline into her. Bless Belle's heart, she had put herself in danger to save Ruby but this was not the time to play hero.  
Belle was in serious danger as Emma had a firm grip around her throat, Ruby lunged into the action. It was in no way a fair fight so she was going to play as dirty as she could. Her left hand wrapped comfortably around the blonde's neck and her right grabbed the woman's free hand, she twisted it and pushed it up against her back. She tightened her arm around Emma's neck, her eyes met warm brown eyes and she nodded her head. It was a sort of signal that only Belle would understand from her, the librarian brought the tip of her boot to connect with Emma's chin and she was instantly released.  
"Get back Belle, GET BACK NOW!" Ruby shouted. She knew the danger they could both be in. She didn't know what the blonde was capable of, all she knew there was magic stirred in with wolf powers. The brunette backed up a bit but she was still close enough to them to where she could help if it was needed. Emma growled at the pain shooting through her arm that was being pressed against her back but with one hand now free she had some leverage.  
Emma used her free had to sink her claws into Ruby's arm and she surrendered her body weight, it hurt her arm like hell. It pulled her fingertips up there to the bottom of her shoulder blades but Ruby was caught off guard by the sudden added weight and was forced to release Emma. Belle had her eyes on the entire scene and sprang forward when Emma was released but the blonde was two steps ahead of them. Her palm was facing the brunette and a blast of purple light flowed out of her hand to blast Belle back. The woman flew back; her body collided with a metal cabinet. Her body went limp on impact; the smug look on Emma's face stirred a new hatred in the waitress.  
"Couldn't let the two of us handle it, she had to pay the price Rubes." Ruby snarled at her "Fuck of Emma." Emma seemed to just be amused by the anger that she had caused the woman. It was like watching a child with a new toy. There was a bright light in her eyes and a bright smile painted on her face. Ruby advanced slowly while Emma just watched her every single move not moving a muscle. She could almost be a statue if not for her breathing.  
The waitress threw the first punch only to have it blocked; Emma brought her free hand, palm out to connect with the woman's chest. It sent it her back a few feet and she landed on her back. Every move was so precise and calculated by the blonde that Ruby stood no chance alone, hell she didn't even stand a chance with Belle. Emma stalked forward, and with an ease that terrified Ruby, dragged her up by the neck. She was dangling in the air being held up by the arm of the one that was out to destroy her. She was losing air fast and when Emma tightened her grip she gasped. Her hands shot out in an attempt to free herself from the deadly grip. "Emma…" she pleaded as tears were close to flowing. She had one chance to save herself but she wasn't sure if there was enough left in her go through with it. She would have to force it, the risk was great but then again it would be a greater harm if she just gave up here. Her eyes shut, channeling the wolf was a simple task she had long ago learned to accept that it was a part of her…an ally and not an enemy.  
She felt her nails elongate and sharpen, the canines bit into the flesh of her inner lip and she felt the change herself. Concrete control had not been established so she felt the changes more than she had before; even the change in eye color seemed to irritate her slightly. She opened her eyes, the changes of her vision were extreme and her full senses allowed her to sniff out the magic mixed with wolf in Emma. Magic could have come from Regina but the wolf part of her she didn't understand. A sinister laugh sounded from the blonde "What's the matter Ruby? Fear of death?" Ruby prayed that this would work, she summoned the last of the oxygen in her lungs "No, but you should be!" she brought her knees up and kicked back the blonde with all the strength she could find. Emma stumbled back but it was not as effective as Ruby had hoped, it bought her little to no time at all. She dropped to the ground, the air that hit her lungs burned but she was glad to have the ability to breathe at all. The burning of her lungs stirred up a nasty cough, this put her in serious danger and she questioned if she really had a chance at all against Emma. All signs pointed to no.  
Emma growled low in her throat; at this rate she would rip Ruby to shreds in the matter of seconds. Something inside of her craved the bloodshed. It pleased her when her fingers felt the warmth of blood spilling down Ruby's neck, it would have been even more pleasurable to have ripped out her neck and punctured the jugular. That would have brought absolute satisfaction coursing through her; she regained her rigid posture and smirked as Ruby still struggled to regain control of her breathing. "Pathetic, get up you pathetic little beast." Her boot connected with other woman's stomach once, twice and even a third time. Ruby was choking on the blood spilling from her mouth, the pain exploded in her. And when Emma's boot hit her in the stomach for a fourth time she felt herself fading away. She laid flat on her back, the silent plea in her head was no longer to have the strength to fight but for death to take her.  
If only mercy would be bestowed on her, but things never came easy. Emma chuckled as she watched the woman choke on her own blood and her chest heave. The blonde was far from letting the woman go, her suffering would continue until her heart sang. Her boot pressed down on Ruby's throat, she applied slight pressure and waited for the small squeak from the victim. It wasn't enough, she gradually added more pressure until she felt hands wrap around her leg, and she felt the small amount of effort into pushing off her leg. She had already killed off a mass amount of energy from the elder wolf, with a last powerful push to the throat she stepped back and tugged Ruby up to her feet. "Stand and fight me, where is your strength and courage now?!" She bared her teeth, Ruby swayed on her feet seconds from falling down to the ground again. The beast lurched forward clinging onto the damaged frame of the once confident woman, "You disgust me" venom laced her words. The woman trembled in her arms, Emma smiled sweetly and her hands ran up the length of Ruby's arms. Her breath fell gently against her neck "Fear me do you dear? I'll give you a reason to." A cry tore through Ruby as claws dug deep into her arm. The blonde held them there for a moment and flexed the hand the hand that threatened to tear Ruby's arm apart. She brought her voice down an octave and whispered into the victims ear "I want to hear you scream out your apologies as I rip you apart, feel the pain that my heart felt." She flexed the fingers once more and revealed at the whimper that escaped Ruby, her claws were deep and she brought her hand back swiftly and quickly. A blood curdling scream filled the room; it was music to her ears.  
Ruby would have collapsed if not for the strong arms wrapped around her, but the arms that held her close belonged to the woman that was going to kill her with no mercy. She suspected that Regina had rubbed off on her, this wasn't Emma Swan…this was a monster from the deepest parts of hell. "Not so fast little one, our game has only begun." The claws that had replaced her nails were coated in blood that dripped to the floor and the sound of the small plop each drop made sickened Ruby. Her arm was scorching, it was broken and shredded no doubt she would need stiches or if worse removed if it got infected. The monster purred in her ear "I love the fear that radiates off of you, such a great toy you are. " Teeth grazed a vein hidden under ghostly pale skin "I feel the blood rushing through your veins and your heart threatening to burst out of your chest. It's the best drug out there; your hell is far from over." Arms release her, immediately she drops to the ground and winces at the pain ripping through her. It wasn't as bad as the pain Emma had caused her but it came pretty damn close.  
Emma circled Ruby, humor gleamed in her eyes and as she smiled the sharpened canines glistened. Ruby tried to crawl away from her, her injured arm lay across her stomach but she used every other part of her body to push back into the shadows. Emma tsked at woman's actions "They never learn." Her foot slammed down on the fleeing woman's shin, the sound of the bone shattering bounced off the walls and she screamed. Her efforts to flee were halted, violent sobs racked her body and Emma in turn snarled at her getting down to eye level. Her hand grabbed onto Ruby's jaw and she forced her to meet her swirling purple eyes "Crying will get you nowhere; every action has a price to pay." She let go of her as quickly as she had grabbed her, the heel of her boot came down on the poor girls ribs. Ruby whimpered, her throat was raw and burning from the screaming there was practically nothing left of her. She looked down at the trail of blood that she left behind as she struggled to get away. Cause of death would be blood loss due to her own stupidity of trying to take down a Queen. Real smooth Red, get reunited with the woman you love only to die shortly after. She shut her eyes, death was looming close she could feel it. She figured that closing her eyes would help ease the pain of leaving this world.  
There was no darkness in her eyes; she was with Belle and her daughter, happy and alive. She held Belle closely while their daughter had her tiny arms locked around their legs; Ruby swore she could feel the warmth fill her body from the love she felt in her moment of happiness. It was short lived; she was brought back to reality when claws tore through her bruised abdomen exposing flesh and the blood pooled around her body. A far deeper and sharper slice cut through the very same spot and it sent blood splattering on her and Emma. She hissed as she felt the muscles there shred under claws far sharper than any knives.  
The blonde lightly tapped her with the tip of her boot once and then circled her clearly pleased with the damage she had caused. Yet still it was not enough for her. "Hey Ruby, mind if have a little fun with your girl?" It was just a low blow really, Ruby could hardly keep her eyes open but that didn't seem to poke any sympathy into the blonde. If anything it brought out a new hate in her, a blazing hot hate. Ruby could hear the footsteps trailing away from her but instead of feeling calm she felt panicked. Then she heard a scream and on instinct she yelled out "BELLE! EMMA YOU FUCKING TOUCH HER AND I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU." A laugh was the response, how could she a woman ripped apart even stand to help her own wife? "Oh Ruby, I'd love for you to even get up from the ground. Oh wait, you can't." She smiled and dragged the other woman that twisted and fought her with every step. The blonde held the woman's arms behind her back with one hand effortlessly. The other hand trailed to her neck, her claws pressed to the librarian's neck which is just as deadly as any knife. "Any last words Belle? What about you Ruby? I'll be fair and give you a moment to say goodbye."  
A slow eerie creak sounded through the silence. It snapped all attention to the new presence in the room. The newcomer brought a new stance to the playing field; Emma's purple eyes gleamed in joy "Regina, such a pleasure to have you join us."


End file.
